


Underwater Rhapsody

by Sugar_and_Salt



Series: Exo Fairytales~ [3]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fantasy, M/M, No mermaids, alternative universe, fairytale, no tentaculars, sorrynotsorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-07 23:27:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6829786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sugar_and_Salt/pseuds/Sugar_and_Salt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Chanyeol woke up, his memories were all gone and he found himself sitting at the bottom of the sea. An intriguing melody called out to him, beckoning him to come closer. He didn't know what to expect, and it certainly wasn't a mermaid he found...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Underwater Rhapsody

**Author's Note:**

> Still slowly crossposting my stuff...  
> This was a prompt by texturedjeans and inspired by Sekai no Owari's 'Mermaid Rhapsody'~  
> I hope you enjoy it c:  
> Love,  
> Sugar_and_Salt

When four-year-old Amber woke up, she was confused.  
She knew that something was wrong. For one, she was under water. That was somewhat expected, since the last thing she remembered was falling into the sea, falling for a long time. And the water had been hurting her. It hurt her skin, it hurt her from the inside, and then everything went dark.  
But now the pain was gone. The water, that had been nothing but painful, only peacefully enveloped her as her bare feet dug into the sandy ground.  
Amber was not a silly kid.  
She knew that water was not supposed to do that. So she decided on righting her mommy as soon as she found her.  
Maybe some kids would've started crying by now, but Amber was not a crybaby. She was all grown up. On top of that she felt like crying under water would be a silly idea.  
Before she could blindly start her search, though, she heard it.  
Beautiful music was playing somewhere nearby. Amber loved music, she really did. And being the curious thing she was, she made her way to the source with her short steps being slowed down by the water. With every step, she caused the sand to stir into clouds and she made a face at it; mommy would be angry again if she got sand on her dress. But the melody grew louder and when she padded around a huge cliff, her dress was all forgotten.  
There was a giant glass wall, in the middle of the sea. But that was not what caught little Amber's attention.  
It was a huge glass box, that did. For in that box was a man who played on a very beautiful piano. As she stumbled closer, the man looked up, but he didn't stop playing.  
He had a very kind face and Amber liked him. Her daddy always said that people who can make pretty music also had a pretty heart.  
For a while, she stood there and listened. Before she could get closer to the glass, though, the man nodded towards the giant glass wall, his small never ceasing.  
Curiously Amber staggered over to the glass wall. She found a huge hole in it, and beyond was a neat-looking path of colorful stones. It looked very inviting. Maybe her parents would be waiting there.  
She whirled around to the man and waved for him to join her. He shouldn't be all alone here, after all.  
But the man only shook his head with that kind smile and when Amber's feet touched the stone, the glass wall behind her closed and the wonderful serenade was cut off.

 

 

* * *

 

As Chanyeol slowly regained consciousness, his brain had difficulties to follow.  
Information were flooding his brain, causing the familiar nervous rumbling of an upcoming panic attack. However, something seemed to surpress it before it could overtake his mind.  
He couldn't pinpoint it, but instead of hyperventilating, he hazily looked around, watching a few lonely and colorful fish swim by. Looked at the white sand that seemingly evaded his fingertips as he clumsily moved them. There was water all around. And even though opening his eyes this wide should burn a little by now, it didn't. But well, he also hadn't choked on the water by now.  
In fact, he wasn't even breathing in the first place. He was leaning against a stone wall and judging by the other stone walls, it looked like some sort of underwater bay.  
There was one gap where he could comfortably exit, but where to?  
  
As his mind grew clearer, he heard it. Heard the sounds that seemed strangely otherworldly. It was an odd mix of actual notes and sounds that reminded him of water music. But how could you use water for music if you're completely enveloped by it?  
The thought of being closely surrounded by tons of water made him a little nauseous, but again the rising panic could not surface. It kept being drowned out by the intriguing melody. It was truly beautiful; but the longer he heard it he couldn't deny the sad tinge to it.  
With wobbly legs, Chanyeol got up and after overcoming his initial struggles, he deemed it possible to walk in the sand, even though he was considerably slower than before.  
[Before...?]  
The melody was so colorful, though. He had to follow it. Stabilizing himself on a stone wall as he walked, he carefully avoided the colorful corals sprouting out of every corner like mushrooms. There was no need to ruin beautiful plants -or were corals already regarded as living beings? As the colors rushed by at the edges of his vision, Chanyeol tried not to get stuck in the soft sand as he slowly staggered forwards.  
  
There was stone to his left and right, but the path was wide enough. He could already see the end. It was only about ten meters away, but in his dizzy state it felt like much, much longer.  
Still, the mysterious sounds lured him forwards. He was definitely sure of the underlying sadness by now.  
Chanyeol was good when it came to music.  
And he was also good when it came to people and their emotions.  
It was weird how his brain could shut down to this extent, but the meoldy was all that mattered. With every step his limbs felt a little lighter and the initial feeling of being dead-drunk was lifted bit by bit.  
  
As he reached the end of the passage and stepped out into the open, he was greeted with a much larger bay.  
There were even more colorful corals littering the stones. Again, there was one way out of it, a much wider gap than before, about as wide as the passage had been long. The whole bay seemed to be centered around it. This time, though, the whole space was blocked by some sort of glass wall. Whatever might have been lying behind it he could only assume. Only blurry spots of colors were visible.  
As his eyes traveled over the smooth surface, they landed on something else. To the side of the glass wall, on a stone platform, stood a huge cubicle of glass. Inside he saw a man playing a piano. Obviously the source of the beautiful serenade.  
As he took another curious step the man noticed him and looked up, abruptly bringing the song to a stop the moment their eyes met.  
For a second, Chanyeol felt like suffocating before he remembered that he hadn't been breathing in the first place. The man was young indeed, presumably about his age. His features were somewhat exotic and his medium long chestnut-brown hair had that overly soft look to it that was typical if you dipped your head under water. Instead of wildly flailing around, though(like Chanyeol assumed his hair must have been acting that exact moment), it only seemed to lightly stir at sudden movements. He decided right then that the stranger's eyes were his favorite, though.  
Even from afar they held something deeply fascinating as they held his gaze. The man seemed slightly startled if his wide eyes were anything to go by.  
Without thinking much into it, Chanyeol went over to the low stone platform.  
Another new problem occured in the question of whether talking was possible in any way.  
As he reached the glass wall, he hesitated. The man had not made any move to get up, just sitting behind the piano and regarding him with an unreadable look. At least he seemed to have calmed down, and flashed him a small smile as his fingers resumed dancing over the keys. This time, the melody sounded much more happy and Chanyeol marveled at the now clear sounds. And also at the ease the man was playing with.  
Their eyes met again as the man made a gesture towards the huge glass wall with a nod of his head, sending a few strands of hair to follow his motion. With a questioning look Chanyeol looked between the glass wall and him, getting another reassuring nod. A little confused, he went over to find a huge patch of the glass wall missing, seemingly fading into nothingness. Behind it he could make out a colorful path of stones, looking oddly neat and structured. The area was dropping, though, disabling him to make any guesses of what truly lay ahead.  
  
Acknowledging the new information, he looked back at the pianist who was surprisingly still looking at him. Gesturing at himself and then the path, Chanyeol sent him another quizzical look. He received another nod in return, supported by a gentle smile. Tilting his head in a thoughtful manner, he made a decision.  
And staggered back to the glass cubicle.  
Again, the man seemed startled by his decision and even gestured him to stay back with a shake of his head first, and both of his raised palms next. All the while, though, the gentle smile didn't leave him. And something about it had Chanyeol hooked. As he inched closer to the glass and tried to touch it, his fingers went straight through it to his surprise. It didn't feel like any obstacle at all, and so he carefully extended his arm.  
Finally the pianist jumped up, but the curious brunette had already crossed into the cubicle.  
 _...-you really shouldn't._  
Chanyeol blinked. As soon as he had stepped inside, an urgent voice reached his head.  
Jumping a little at the surprise he looked at the man across him who wore a worried expression.  
Had that been his voice?  
With a resigned look, he sank down on the bench again, sending him another small smile, though it seemed hesitant.  
 _Yes. It was me._  
With wide eyes, Chanyeol stared at him.  
'You can read my thoughts?'  
For a few seconds he thought about this before he shrugged.  
 _I don't know. Maybe it's you that has been talking all along._  
His voice was on the soft side, although definitely manly. Actually it was quite pleasant to the... Well, whatever it was that enabled his hearing at the moment. Chanyeol couldn't help noticing the playful undertone, though.  
Not wanting to lose to him he inched closer and slid next to him onto the bench.  
'So... Nice to meet you. I'm Chanyeol.'  
 _Very nice to meet you, too. My name is Lay._  
There was a polite distance left between them, but he was still considerably closer and therefore able to admire the brightness in his eyes.  
Still, he seemed more than just a little tense.  
'You want me to leave?', Chanyeol asked as politely as possible.  
Blinking in confusion for a few times, Lay looked torn.  
 _I... Yes, but... Don't... Maybe we could just talk a little. Yes. That would be very nice._  
He didn't necessarily sound flustered but as he looked up at the last suggestion, the hopeful spark was evident. A little confused by the other's behavior Chanyeol decided to play along and smiled brightly.  
'Sure, why not. That's a really impressive piano you got there. Never saw anything like it before.'  
In return Lay gently slid his fingers over the smooth surface of the piano which was half constructed from something glass-like, and held together by golden strings and frames, adorned with tiny intricate details.  
 _You're right. I suppose it's unique._  
'And you play amazingly well - Can you maybe play a little for me?'  
When Lay looked torn once again, Chanyeol added a 'Pretty please~!' with a tad of aegyo for good measure.  
Biting back a small smile, he nodded more to himself than anything and his fingers began to gently skid over the crystal-like keys.  
  
As the foreign sounds washed over him soothingly, Chanyeol closed his eyes. It felt like a cooling sensation to his burning thoughts. With every second passing, he could feel his body relax.  
But there was also something else...  
With his eyes fluttering open he noticed Lay hesitantly bringing his fingers to a halt as he regarded him with that unreadable look of his.  
'Somehow... This makes me wonder... Why I'm even here in the first place?'  
Even as he asked the question he felt as if reaching through a haze to find the right words. Something was just off.  
 _Don't panic. It's a natural reaction. Are you sure you want to hear more?_  
'Okay... Okay. Actually I would. Can I?'  
Surprised at his trusting demeanor, Lay continued to skillfully play with one hand as he intently looked at him with worry and something else mixed into his expression.  
Instantly, the sensation picked on where it had left of, leaving a constricting feeling near his heart.  
Yes, why was he even there, in the depths of the sea? Where had he been before? What had happened before?  
All the suppressed questions were tugged to the surface by the hauntingly beautiful sounds.  
Right. He had been standing at that cliff, lost in thought.  
[About what, though?]  
Then he had felt a strong pair of hands against his back, roughly shoving him forwards.  
Unconsciously, Chanyeol tightly grabbed his thighs as more and more memories surfaced.  
Memories of falling for a long time, of water violently invading his lungs, the pain of an upcoming panic attack meshing into it in an ugly way. And the last thing; looking through the watery haze upwards, where he could make out the person standing at the cliff, a look of horror on his face.  
As he closed his eyes at the burning pain, he could only hold on to that last thought.  
[I'm not mad at you. It's okay, I understand. Please don't let your life be ruined by this.]  
Maybe Chanyeol was foolish until the very end.  
But he still stood to those last thoughts.  
At a sudden touch of his cheek his eyes flew open and met Lay's, who had been the one to gently cup the side of his face in an attempt to sooth him. Again, his other hand slowly ceased playing in favor of his other thumb rubbing soothing circles on his face. The tension slowly left his body as he unconsciously leaned into the soft and warm skin. He hadn't even realized he gripped the fabric of his trousers that tightly.  
 _Shh... It's over now. The hurt is gone._  
The words were selected carefully, neither prodding nor giving away what exactly was going on.  
But Chanyeol knew, anyway.  
'I died. Didn't I?'  
The hand traveled up to smooth his wild mess of light brown curls as Lay gave a weak nod, obviously afraid how he would take it.  
To his surprise, Chanyeol only let out a thoughtful: 'Huh.'  
For a moment, he processed the information thoroughly, thinking of how to handle it.  
'I died. That was pretty stupid of me. You know, actually I'm quite the good swimmer. Huh...'  
Watching the realization sinking in, Lay let his fingers slide through the soft curls, stirring them up just to flat them the next second.  
'Maybe... It's not that bad. I guess it made life easier for some people. I mean, I didn't **_want_ ** to die.  
But now that it happened I can't exactly re-do it.'  
 _You're taking this pretty well._  
'Ah, what can I say. I'm kind of the going with the flow type? For some reason I can't find it in me to feel upset.  
This heavy feeling of fear that used to crush me... It's simply gone. I feel so... peaceful.'  
Softly cupping the hand that had been caressing his head, he flashed a carefree smile.  
'It must have been thanks to your play. I should thank you.'  
The smile infected Lay who gently returned it though he could not deny the affectionate gesture had quite an effect on him.  
Slowly they withdrew their hands, altough neither of them made an attempt at sliding further away from each other again.  
  
'So... Why are you here, if I may ask?'  
 _Me? Don't you want to, I don't know... Ask any question about what happens now?_  
'You don't need to answer me.'  
Lightly the pianist shook his head in denial with disbelieve edged into his soft features.  
 _You really are something._  
'I've been told so.'  
 _Well, I'm here... To play._  
'Why do you play?'  
 _I play so people like you can cross over._  
His speech was slow and kind of careful.  
Chanyeol nodded, his full attention on the handsome boy.  
'Where to?'  
 _I... I can't say for sure. It's some kind of town or kingdom? It's a place where those who died a death in these waters are getting another chance to spend their time._  
He didn't say 'to live', which didn't go unnoticed by the tall brunette.  
'You said you don't know... Why? Have you never been there?'  
 _No._  
His voice sounded rather sad, even though it didn't speak of any anger or frustration.  
'And why is that?', he patiently continued asking, not minding the question and answering game they played.  
 _The door opens when I play. If I stop playing, the door cannot be opened._  
'Huh... So let me play for you.', Chanyeol easily suggested.  
 _NO!_  
Flinching at the sudden outbreak of desperation, Chanyeol defensively held up his hands.  
'Okay. Look, I'm sorry.'  
Shaking his head, Lay lifted his fingers to grasp the much more tall and sturdy hands to guide them down again.  
 _Don't be. I apologize for lashing out at you._  
Biting his lip in light distress, Lay seemed to come to the solution of his inner conflict.  
 _You should probably go._  
Taken aback, Chanyeol tightened the grip of his hand.  
'W-why? I'm really sorry, I won't ask a-'  
 _It has nothing to do with that. Please don't feel bad about it._  
'Then why?'  
But Lay only lowered his gaze, looking at their intertwined fingers.  
'What about you, then? Can't you leave?'  
 _Don't worry about me-_  
'Did you ever leave? At all?'  
At the urgency he was met with, Lay relented and he heard his voice sigh.  
 _No I didn't._  
Sensing the tension in the pianist's body, he got quiet and lessened his grip on the more delicate hand.  
Slowly he withdrew his right hand, leaving it to hover over the keys.  
'Can I?'  
Without uttering a word, he only nodded his head and Chanyeol took his time before experimentally pressing a key. And another.  
His movements lacked every bit of skill and grace but the notes were tentative and careful.  
Chanyeol never actually played the piano but had experience with a bunch of other instruments. His body and hearing were attuned to music and his experimental tapping got more and more purposeful though it didn't speed up.  
Once in a while he felt courageous enough to press a golden key, sending one of the watery sounds echoing through the melody.  
All the while Lay didn't let go of his hand but instead inched closer, lying his head on the other's shoulder with his eyes closed.  
Chanyeol smiled as he felt the body relax and continued to play his improvised melody.  
  
It went on like this for a while with the taller one playing and the original pianist resting on his shoulder. At one point he saw another figure entering the bay from somewhere. Although his playing slowed down for a second, he didn't intend to startle Lay and kept going as he curiously eyed a middle-aged woman stepping closer to the glass wall.  
She took a look around but seemed to see right through them, not registering the music's source at all. Instead, her attention was caught by the opening in the glass wall and she stepped towards it, crossed it, and went her way.  
Not averting his gaze, Chanyeol rubbed his cheek against the mop of soft brown hair.  
'Say... Why do people not see the piano?'  
Lay's eyes flew up and he attempted to sit up but was calmly held back.  
'Relax, no one's here anymore.'  
 _You shouldn't... That's not what you're supposed to do._  
'So why can't they?', he asked insistingly as his fingers kept playing, slowly getting used to the instrument.  
Still hesitant, Lay buried his head further into the crook of his neck.  
 _It's because they are not pure._  
He proceeded when the taller one made no attempt to interrupt him.  
 _Most people accumulate negativity throughout their lives, it's almost inevitable. They are... Tainted._  
'Tainted? Like in losing their virginity?'  
Blushing at the blunt question, he shook his head.  
 _No! Not like that. It's about harboring feelings like hate or envy. Looking down on people, harming people... It's things like that that taint your soul. The cliff you fell off is a place where many people found their death before you. Countless people have ended their life out of their own will. They are mostly driven by despair and self-loathing. They pass by me without a second look.  
On the other side, a  lot of parents drown their unwanted children here. Those are very often the ones to see it._  
'So... What you're saying is that people who died 'tainted' are not able to see the piano?'  
 _Yes. A-and me._  
Chanyeol hummed. Not wanting to interrupt the melody since it seemed to calm Lay, he carefully continued his questioning with his head tilting a little to lean on the other's.  
'You know... You seem really tense. Ever since I approached you. Can you tell me what you're afraid of?'  
His voice was quiet and Lay internally shuddered at the deep timbre.  
 _I don't want to cause you harm._  
Again he hummed in agreement.  
'That feeling is mutual. So why...?'  
Lay fidgeted uneasily.  
'If you tell me, I may understand. I will take your fear away.'  
 _Can you really, though?_ , Lay asked with a sad vibe. Nevertheless he sat up straight and put his hand over Chanyeol's, effectively stopping the melody. For a few seconds, the sounds seemed to echo through the bay until a deep silence overcame the whole place, thick enough to cut with a knife.  
 _I, as well, fell from that cliff once.  
It was a mere accident that time and if I hadn't hit my head I might have saved myself.  
He didn't sound too remorseful, but rather as if he'd come to terms with the whole situation a long time ago.  
When I woke up, I found this glass wall. And the piano was there, as well. A beautiful woman was playing but upon seeing me she gestured me to join her.  
Not thinking anything into it, I did.  
She told me I had lived a pure and innocent life. Asked me whether I had ever fallen in love before.  
I didn't even realize she was trying to seduce me until she leaned towards me... For a kiss. I refused politely. All her coaxing and sweet words only resulted in me backing away from her.  
She got furious and started to curse at me. You know, that was the moment I began to feel scared, but it was far too late. The woman slammed her hand down on the keys and left the glass cubicle. But as I tried to follow her, I found the wall solid.  
I couldn't leave anymore._  
'She trapped you in here forever?'  
 _Ah, it's not that simple.  
She told me I there was a way to free myself. I had to simply find someone to take my place.  
For if I'd deceive a person into taking my place, the guilt would taint my heart.  
And as soon as my heart was tainted, I could leave this place.  
Are you following?_  
Chanyeol nodded animatedly, sending his curls into another mess.  
'So... You didn't do that so far. And I suppose you're not planning to?', he thoughtfully said, more a statement than a question.  
 _Well... I did encounter a few who could see me. But... I just don't have it in me to trick any lost soul into staying here. So I just let them pass. That's why..._  
'-that's why my presence makes you nervous.'  
Again, Lay only nodded once before lowering his gaze again. Chanyeol felt truly honored to receive this amount of trust.  
'So that means... You're not afraid of me but rather yourself, actually?'  
Surprise flickered in the bright eyes as they regarded him, but the taller one wasn't deterred.  
'I mean, you're afraid you might deceive me. If I want to make you feel at ease, I simply have to assure you I won't give in to you, then?'  
Seeing Lay's skeptical expression, he only grinned widely.  
'That was the purpose of you telling me all this, right? Now that I know there'd be no way you could sweet-talk me into it, right?'  
 _I'm not sure..._  
'Tss, you think I'm dumb, don't you?'  
At this, Lay made a defensive hand movement, but a small smile gave away his playful nature.  
 _I have no idea how you jumped to that conclusion._  
'Oh really. Then what about my assumption the woman was true about you never once experiencing love?', Chanyeol gave back without missing a beat, his arms crossed over his chest. Secretly, he was just glad to see Lay relaxing now that he had revealed the truth.  
 _And why would you think that?_  
'Well, because love is something that creates all sorts of negative feelings. Like jealousy, anger or spite.'  
Even though Lay seemed unfazed, Chanyeol noticed him blinking a little more as he tried to come up with a quick retort. Biting back a winning smile, he waited.  
 _Seeing as you're sitting here right now you're probably not one to talk, though._  
'You'd like that, would you?', Chanyeol teasingly replied, 'But I know how to fall in love. I fell in love before.'  
 _Couldn't have been a big deal if you didn't develop any strong feelings, huh?_  
'Touché.'  
Chanyeol faked being deeply hurt, but his grin gave him away.  
For a while they both smiled.  
Then Lay went back to absentmindedly playing a little tune.  
His smile was so wide that Chanyeol clearly registered his dimple and barely resisted the urge of poking it.  
The melody was the happiest he had heard so far. It was adorable how Lay seemed to have the urge of playing the piano to express his feelings.  
Leaning onto his elbows, he just observed him for a while. The way his eyes flitted between the keys in concentration. How his movements never failed to look flowing and elegant. And of course his soft features that expressed a form of silent bliss. As his eyes traveled, they lingered on his exposed neck. Even though under water, his skin was flawless and screamed to be touched. As if in trance, the taller one reached out and carefully let his fingers skid down the expanse of skin.  
He could feel the muscles beneath flinch at the intial contact before relaxing again. Marveling at the soft and warm feeling, the pads of his fingers continued to skim up and down his neck, drawing small circles on their way. As his eyes closed in a fluttering motion, Lay leaned to the side a little to give him an easier access. He was sure he heard him sigh.  
When his fingers feathery touched a certain point close to his ear, he flinched again but stayed put nevertheless.  
With a mischievous grin Chanyeol inched closer stealthily to remain unnoticed.  
He would have loved to blow some air into his ear but that wasn't possible without any air to begin with.  
So he opened his lips to place an open-mouthed kiss on his ear. As expected, Lay was startled. He leaned one hand on the bench to Lay's other side, effectively stopping him from inching away.  
 _Not there... That's cheating..._  
His voice was kind of whiny but lacked not only true aversion but also his playful demeanour.  
'Not there?', Chanyeol teasingly asked as he let his lips travel to a point below his ear, applying a little more pressure.  
Lay's hand blindly reached for his arm, and gripped it tightly.  
'Better?'  
He could feel the shudders running through the body beneath him as he explored the skin with his lips. Suddenly, Lay yanked himself free and Chanyeol flinched back like a kicked puppy as a hand was raised.  
He didn't expect Lay to reach into his hair, though, tugging at it and causing Chanyeol to follow the motion until he had enough room to press a firm kiss to his throat. It was Chanyeol's time to bite his lip as a blush crept upon his cheeks.  
 _You shouldn't play with me like that._  
Lay's kisses were a little harder and more urgent, but not to the point of being rough or unpleasant.  
Chanyeol had long ago thrown his head back on his own accord but the pianist's fingers kept tangling with his hair as his other one tugged at the shirt's collar to reach more of his collarbones. When a warm tongue was added, he couldn't hold back an internal moan.  
 _Censoring your thoughts is difficult, isn't it? You seem to enjoy yourself._  
Taking this as a sign to compose himself Chanyeol drew back a little, with Lay backing off immediately as well.  
They both shared an intense gaze and slowly Chanyeol leaned in to place a soft and affectionate kiss on his cheek, his lips lingering for a long time before he drew him into an embrace, leaning his chin on Lay's shoulder.  
For a while, they listened to the beat of each other's heart. Interesting to feel it still function.  
  
'You should leave this place.', Chanyeol suddenly said.  
He could feel the tension rapidly returning.  
 _I won't._  
'I'm not saying you should abandon me. I'm saying you should go and search for that witch to kick her in the butt and lift the curse.'  
 _AND leave you here in the process._  
'You won't be gone for long. I trust you. I'll hold the fort over here~'  
 _No, I can't-_  
Lay struggled in his hold but Chanyeol wouldn't have it.  
'Come on. It's a selfish act on my side as well, so I'm sure I could leave here whenever, being tainted and all.'  
 _You just made that up._  
Chanyeol held him an arm's length away and gave him a serious look.  
'You have been here for long enough. You fulfilled your duty. If you're that unwilling to leave me here... I'm flattered. And I will wait for you to return one day. If you don't want to, it's fine by me.'  
 _You lied. You told me you wouldn't-_  
'I promised I wouldn't let myself get talked into something. This is my own decision, though.'  
He stood up, firmly dragging Lay up with him and leading him to the glass wall.  
 _Wait..._  
'Just come back and everything will be alright, won't it?'  
Urgently Lay reached out to place a kiss on the taller one's cheek.  
Then he stared at the glass wall while Chanyeol slid onto the bench.  
  
And he played.  
And Lay continued to stare at the glass wall.  
  
Behind it, he could see the huge glass wall that revealed the colorful stone path leading forward.  
Forward...  
  
Behind him, Chanyeol kept playing.  
And Lay kept hesitating.  
  
He could probably search for a way to lift the curse. But if not, the fascinating boy with the chocolate-brown eyes would be stuck forever.  
Could he take the risk?  
Could he?  
  
Chanyeol looked at the pianist's back with furrowed brows. Why didn't he go? Maybe his suggestion of returning was too flimsy, after all. Finally he saw Lay reaching out for the glass wall. His fingers inched closer and closer... Until they stopped.  
And his hand dropped again.  
For a moment, Chanyeol thought he would just tell him to leave again, but as before, Lay reacted unpredictably.  
He laughed.  
He threw his head back and grinned widely, but Chanyeol could hear his hearty laughter echoing in his head.  
He turned around to Chanyeol and shook his head.  
 _I won't leave. And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't even be able to._  
'Huh? What are you talking about?'  
There was not the tiniest sign of uncertainty in Lay's bright eyes as he reached for the glass wall, his gaze locked with Chanyeol.  
His hand knocked against the solid wall.  
Chanyeol stared in shock.  
'But why? Why doesn't it-'  
 _It's because since you obviously gave up on yourself out of your very own free will that I didn't get tainted at all._  
'Huh?! Then now... Now what?', Chanyeol inquired with disappointment lacing his voice as he didn't manage to set him free after all.  
 _I'm not sure. Since you just took my place and even let that person through before... I don't know if you can still leave now._  
'But... That wouldn't be fair if you'd still...'  
Chanyeol stood up in disbelieve and went over to him, hesitatingly reaching out to... Place his palm onto the glass.  
His face was unreadable as his hand slid over the smooth surface.  
For a moment Lay feared he would crack under the revelation.  
But when Chanyeol's head whipped up to meet his gaze, he wore a lopsided but genuine grin.  
'I guess I miscalculated, then. Love doesn't seem to taint you, after all.'

 

 

* * *

 

Junhong didn't mean to step that close to the cliff.  
He had merely wanted to usher his little sister into safety and as she slipped, he acted out of instinct.  
Now that he awoke, though, he wasn't to sure of what had happened in the first place.  
His muddy mind was suddenly cleared by a delighting melody.  
Hazily he got up to make his way towards the sound. As he entered a beautiful bay, he saw it. A huge glass cubicle that contained two young men who peacefully played on the piano, all four hands dancing over the keys in harmony.  
In this surreal surroundings they seemed the most unreal.  
Junhong couldn't help but wonder which side of the glass was the true aquarium here. As their eyes met, the couple smiled and the taller man sent him a cheery wave. They gestured over to the stone path leading into the distance. The young boy looked at them curiously, but they only repeated the motion with a reassuring smile. And as Junhong made his way down the stone path the wonderful sound was rapidly cut off. But still, the image of the two men sitting in the glass cube remained. And he couldn't help but be reminded of his mother's lovebirds - two beautiful green birds that his mother had told him needed to be kept in pairs so they were able to stay healthy and happy.  
Since those two had not only seemed content - they had seemed complete.


End file.
